Quick Holiday Update

I have been actively pursuing many areas of study lately. I have tons of ambition which gets in the way of progress sometimes because it causes me to become bogged down by the vastness of what I want to do so I don't do any of it. Though, I will say a series of fortunate events have transpired over the Holidays. I have obtained the beginnings of my library. I think this in itself will help me to start reading more. Just for those who follow and would be interested in the books that I was given, here is the List.

To Kill a Mockingbird
On the Road
The Absolutely true diary of a Part-Time Indian
White Noise
The once and future king
Metamorphosis
Old man and the Sea
The Sun also rises
The Heart is a lonely hunter
Watership down
A Confederacy of Dunces
Catch-22

In addition, my grandma got really excited about my list of books and wants to help add to my library which is pretty awesome. Oh, She also thinks it would be really interesting to get a chance to talk to tyger because he seems really interesting.

Reading Update: I am working through Catch-22, don't know if I am a big fan yet. It is interesting, but I am not sure it is quite my cup of tea. Though I plan on pressing on and giving you all a real idea of what I thought of it.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and other thoughts.

So I am back. I just have a few things to write nothing too important just some thoughts on Sir Gawain, and a few other things.

I finished Sir Gawain and the Green Knight yesterday. Overall, I found the poem very interesting. I feel like at points it was pretty predictable, which would make sense because it is an old story and has been honored by mimicry often I am sure. That is the essence of most great works I would guess and I have no doubt that this story in some way or form was framed from others. Intriguing plot, If you that read this have not read the poem, I will give you a basic synopsis but I encourage you to read the story. It took me only a few hours to get through it (the non-middle english version). The basis of the story is that a mysterious knight dressed in green challenges King Arthur's Court to a challenge/game. Arthur kind of wussed out and thus caused oodles of awkward silence. Sir Gawain being noble and knightly said he would take the challenge in Arthur's stead. The challenge is that he gets one swing with an axe and if at the end the Green Knight was still alive then in one year he would get one swing at Sir Gawain. Gawain fails.. sort of.. and is given a year before he has to take his final blow. The story continues with his journey to meet his destiny and the trials and temptations that he faces. Overall good story. Read it, it's fun and doesn't take long.

On to other thoughts. I worked on a few riddles this week thanks to tyger. They were very interesting. Surprisingly I am sure to him, I actually got them right. I am looking forward to a few books I am about to start reading. Catch-22 by Heller, and The Once and Future King by T. H. White. Looking forward to those. I have also been working on learning more about Etymology and just general Vocabulary. Been a very good way to keep things interesting. Fatuous is a pretty good one. I will leave you with my favorite for of the last few days, Scrumtrulescent. Enjoy it.

More to come later.

-Colin

The Going Price For Home

I've paid the price of solitude with wish to worry while you're away. With all grace to allow my hand to travel & worth here across your face. I love you more than you could know, in those eyes you hide it well. I think you do. As I turn the wheels that round the ground across the Never, here against the Grave. Now I've lost the only thing that matters to my life. Is now the dream? I love you more than you could know, in those eyes you hide it well. I think you do. Here I go, I'm on my home now to you. And it hurts to hear you feel.

Who watches the Watchmen?

There's a light in the she'd that should help you find your way.
And through this door you deserve a beating through the Machine.
And little did you once know in the race for the telephone.
In the dark they watched us from here beyond the grave.
To bare the marks of His work are the Watchmen of our ways.
That which we feels untrue, if it's me than it isn't you.
Lay-down, relax, come on, how?
What you thought once was yours is ours now.

Stay with me to guide this dream
Before they bury me.
I'll be waiting up all night for you
In a nightmare that was made for me.

In the call of her screams should we leave and let them be?
Is her life worth as much as we once wished to believe?
So is it or isn't so?
Am I dead now here in the snow?
In the foul of their play will then justice be engraved?
To bare the walk on the way to the killer and his blade.

Solitary Confinement

So I got a little bit of time to think today which was really good. I should have actually been writing a paper, but i was very exhausted by this week, so I think I just needed some time for myself.

I was thinking while I was watching this prison show today. I think that I would like certain aspects of jail. I realize that sounds a little strange so let me explain. There was this guy who was being interviewed who had been in solitary confinement for 10 years. He was still sane too. Normally people expect someone to go kind of crazy in solitary confinement. I personally think that sounds really nice. I think I would enjoy living in solitary confinement for a while. As long as I was permitted books, writing materials, and the occasional ability to search for new books after I have finished the ones that I was reading. I was talking to my friend about this earlier tonight and she was blown away. She couldn't understand how or why I think that would be nice, or in the least bit interesting. Maybe it is because I have so many thoughts all of the time, and never have the peace or clarity to write them all down, so they just build up until eventually a could of them explode out of my head, or I being super stressed and incoherent. I think most people have probably witnessed both occurrences if you have known me for a while. So I pose this question. Could you live in solitary confinement and be ok for a while?

In other news, I have been listening to The Prize Fighter Inferno lately. Good music project I would say. I would recommend it, but most people I know probably would not find it as interesting as I do.


C.C. Fletcher

Thoughts on Kierkegaard

Kierkegaard talks about how despair can be over oneself instead of over others. He gives examples that are basically stating that we have dreams that are unreachable which we try to define ourselves around, but when those dreams do not work out we fall into despair. He states that a man wants to become Caesar or nothing. When he does not become Caesar he falls into despair about his situation, not because he is jealous of not being able to achieve what Caesar achieved but because he is not what he had hoped to be and because he feels hopeless about himself. I think at this point Kierkegaard basically states that people move on past the despair. I think that in Today's society it is not this way always. I feel like in today's Society this despair is very detrimental. Often once someone feels that they can not achieve what they initially wanted they lose all hope. Society tells them that it is ok though; and what is important is that we dont worry about what we have not achieved, we should be happy with whatever happens. Not to continue to fight for what our true potential is but to underachieve and accept that we just can not achieve what our real potential is. Maybe this is because most people are stuck in the "Aesthetic phase" but I guess i just dont see how what Kierkegaard is saying can be completely true. I feel as though ideally he might have a good point, but society as it is today does not function ideally, it functions in a politically correct way that tells us to do whatever is easy and does not tax us much.